Thursday, February 26, 2009

3D chips promise to pack more punch compared to today's flat planar chips, usually by stacking dies and connecting them with through silicon vias. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor George Barbastathis, on the other hand, recommends unfolding chip structures into the third dimension and has demonstrated that capacitors are amenable to the technique. He predicts that tiny motors and other devices will soon be fabricated using his nanoscale "origami" approach.

BOTTOM LINE: 3D chips solve many problems plaguing traditional planar semiconductors, such as packing logic above memory cells without the need for long costly interconnections. MEMS chips also harness the third dimension by sculpting out 3D structures with etching techniques. MIT's origami-like alternative is not really an alternative to 3D stacked dies, but the technique is so novel that I suggest keeping an eye on its development, which could take a decade or more to mature.

By R. Colin Johnson

Lastest Book:

Cognitive computers—cognizers—aim to instill human-like intelligence into our smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices using microchips that emulate the human brain. Dubbed the “Future of Computing” by the NYTimes, one of the “Best Innovation Moments of 2011” by the Washington Post and one of “10 World Changing Ideas” in a Scientific American cover story “A Computer Chip that Thinks” this book reveals how neuroscience and computer science are merging in a new era of intelligent machines light-years beyond Apple's Siri, IBM's Watson.

About the Author:

Next-generation electronics and technology news stories published non-stop for 20+ years, R. Colin Johnson's unique perspective has prompted coverage of his articles in a diverse range of major media outlets--from the ultra-liberal National Public Radio (NPR) to the ultra-conservative Rush Limbaugh Show.